Secondly, she adds, if you’re not cleansing your skin thoroughly, any anti-aging serums or lotions you apply at night are unable to penetrate effectively. The bottom line: Nightly face-washing is a non-negotiable. But on that note… To avoid excessive scrubbing, she suggests washing your face in the shower. Get your skin super wet for about five minutes, and then follow this two-step process: 1) Use a gentle micellar water to remove makeup, and 2) Use a gentle cleanser to wash off leftover dirt or oil. Sugar consumption triggers glycation, a process that produces advanced glycation end-products (aptly named AGEs). “These form when proteins or lipids are exposed to high levels of sugar in the blood. Your immune system doesn’t recognize these molecules, and inflammation ensues, having an aging effect on all of your cells,” adds Dr. Wright. Easier said than done, but we’ll say it anyway: Limit your sugar intake, opting for antioxidant-rich fruits when a sweet craving hits (or at least, pick dark chocolate over milk chocolate). RELATED: 7 Ways to Break a Sugar Addiction and Curb Cravings for Good Your best bet for counteracting incidental, unexpected exposure is to routinely apply sunscreen every morning, even if you’re inside all day, the sisters say. They also recommend keeping a powder sunscreen in your car for quickie, on-the-go touch-ups. RELATED: 10 Sunscreen Mistakes Even Smart People Make Avoid drinking out of a straw, which also leads to those lines, according to Dr. Wright. Since pursing your lips is often involuntary, consider a neuromodulator injection, like Botox, to relax that muscle so the movement isn’t as prominent, she adds. Along with limiting screen time, use a protective antioxidant serum (which is a skincare product formulated for blue light protection) and set your phone to night mode. Constantly squinting at your device can also be problematic, increasing the formation of wrinkles around the eyes, according to Dr. Icecreamwala. On top of that, “looking down at your device can lead to ’tech neck,’ when the skin around the neck and jawline becomes saggy and etched with horizontal lines,” she says. To combat these issues: 1) Get your eyes checked so you don’t have to squint, and 2) Use the same anti-aging products on your neck as you use on your face. The solution is simple: Apply any leftover facial skincare product onto the back of your hands. It can make a big difference.
